


Home is a Complicated Thing

by PenguinMasquerade



Category: Persona 4, Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Hurt/Comfort, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Persona 5 Protagonist is from Inaba, Vomit Mention, akira sees saki so be warned. nothing graphic dw., growing up in inaba is hard, i have a lot more character tags to add but like. i'm gonna wait., i'm gonna have royal stuff in here btw at some point when i get to it, no beta we burn like goro on 10/25, past & present fic, this is NOT a fic where akira has shitty parents
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2020-09-09
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:42:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25374085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PenguinMasquerade/pseuds/PenguinMasquerade
Summary: He was only twelve years old when his town erupted into chaos.He was only sixteen when he thought that, with the existence of Mementos, maybe there really was something more going on.
Relationships: Kurusu Akira & Narukami Yu, Persona 5 Protagonist & Phantom Thieves of Hearts
Comments: 12
Kudos: 92





	1. A Regular Foggy day, That's Not So Regular.

**Author's Note:**

> Another Persona 5 Protag is from Inaba au but its his time during the events of p4g as well as present day p5r.
> 
> Extra warnings include literally everything with what p4 and p5 in general need warnings for so, if anyone thinks I should tag anything specific that I end up not doing please let me know!
> 
> But basically I've thought about this kind of fic for a while, and also just want to write Akira interacting with Yu and other p4 characters. 
> 
> Also, this will have a beta it's just mine's currently running off of Sleep Brain. I hope you all enjoy it though!

**Inaba, April 2011**

Once, when he was twelve years old, Akira found himself dealing with the police for the first time. It wasn’t for anything he was accused of, nor was it from anything he did. It was just a town with big problems.

It was a simple morning. Foggy, as it would commonly get and his mind all dreary from the early hour. He remembers his parents already out at work, unable to drive him to school. It felt like a normal morning, it should have been, but the town was buzzing with worry. Nothing ever happens here. It was a small town, so the most that ever happened was gossip about neighbors, shop owners, nothing ever big.

Nothing ever happens in Inaba, but the town was left shaken after a body showed up, hanging off TV antennas.

She was a TV announcer, too, which ended up bringing more outside attention.

_“Will you be okay?”_ His mom asked him on the phone as he tried to eat breakfast. He had to reassure her that yes, he’ll be alright, yes, he’ll message her when he arrives to school and that _no,_ she doesn’t have to leave work to pick him up after, all between bites of cereal.

He couldn’t blame her, hell, most parents in town were fretting over their kids. Some of Akira’s friends weren’t even allowed to be out after school, they were supposed to go straight home for the time being. His parents just didn’t want him to be out alone, which was a hard thing to follow with his social life practically being put on lock down with his friends having to stay home.

Today his mom was especially worried. The past few days his parents took turns showing up late to work just to make sure he didn’t have to walk alone, but today neither could afford to.

Akira was just a little bit relieved, despite being a little unnerved at the situation. Walking alone wasn’t the worst thing- he was just glad to not have his parents breathing down his neck.

With his newfound freedom he daydreamed as he walked, only to be pulled out of it from a stray cat nearly tripping him. Friendly. Craving attention. It was one out of many in this town, and was always coming up to him each time he walked to and from school.

Oh, how he wished he could stay instead. Akira bent to give it a scratch, and it rubbed it’s furry head into his hand with loud purrs. “I can’t stay,” he spoke softly, “I’ll have to say hi again later.”

Of course there was no reply, why would there be? Cats talking is a silly concept, although that doesn’t mean he didn’t secretly wish they did.

Akira gave himself another few seconds with the little guy, before continuing on. He noticed the fog was starting to thin out, and the meowing continued on right behind his heels. The cat was trying to follow him to school this time huh? The thought made him crack a smile and he turned, but as he did something strange caught his eye.

The cat meowed again, and rubbed against his legs as he squinted through the fog. It was definitely thinning, finally. It always made things a bit _too_ eerie for his taste.

Akira squinted, and his stomach dropped. The figure off in the distance became more clear, upside down, off a set of antennas, and he barely registered the scream of another passerby.

**Yongen-Jaya, April 2016**

Akira awoke from his daze on the train, thinking all the way back to years ago. There was a bitter taste in his mouth, and he realized that bad luck just seemed to follow him wherever he went. He didn’t know if it was a blessing or a curse to be sent away from that town that caused him so much trouble, so much pain. 

The people in Inaba were pretty okay for the most part, but they talked. Though, they weren’t really the cause of him associating the town with his bad luck. It’s not like the people there were cruel. It’s just, finding a body? Getting accused of assault? It’s as if some being is putting him through all this on purpose. 

It was almost laughable, in a twisted way.

Maybe being away will turn out to be a good thing. It can’t get any worse than this, right? He doesn’t think he can take anything else happening. 

-

Akira met Sojiro, his guardian for the next year, and got settled in to his new room. (Attic. It was an attic in a café.)

Akira thought it was strange, really, for this guy he just met to have someone with a criminal record, accused of assault, stay in his coffee shop alone at night. Well, he guessed that maybe Sojiro thought highly enough of Akira to know he wouldn’t be dumb enough to steal from his shop, maybe. He wasn’t going to think too much about it though, Akira’s just glad to be able to have a bit of his own space at night.

Besides, it’s not as strange as what happened earlier. Maybe he was just tired and hallucinating things, yet, that didn’t explain the weird app that appeared on his phone. 

With heavy eyes, he deleted it, before going into a surprisingly deep sleep.

**Inaba, April 2011**

Akira threw up when he got home that day. His mom was near tears, devastated her son had to come across such a scene, and obviously trying to hold it together for him. 

He didn’t really listen to what she was telling him, his throat burned, his chest was tight, his eyes stung. Something about his father on his way home. Something along those lines. Something about calling his school to let them know why he’s missing. 

Something, something, something.

There was really nothing much he could tell the police. He was just a kid on his way to school who just happened to come across the horrifying scene that was a teenager, dead. Killed. 

Akira didn’t really have to say much either; A women, who was the person he heard scream, did most of the talking. It was relieving, considering he didn’t feel well enough to speak at the time. 

He was also thankful for the detective there, who he recognized as his neighbor with a daughter much younger than Akira himself, Doma? Dojima? He couldn’t think of his name right now, but he called his parents for him, and his mom arrived.

A nice guy. A nice guy and a nice neighbor. He doesn’t remember if he thanked him verbally, he doesn’t remember much of anything he said that morning.

Akira didn’t really want to be alone, not really. With his parents always working, it was rare for them to both be home at the same time with him. They cared about him, he knew that, and he loved them dearly.

He just didn’t want _this_ to be the reason for them both to be here.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After this chapter I'm finally gonna be writing everything i'm excited to write!   
> I did my best to read this over and edit but if there's anything that's bothering you grammar wise let me know! I want to be able to get better at it!
> 
> Also some chapter warnings just in case: mentions of not wanting to really eat food/loss of appetite. Not sure how to put that warning but its only mentions. 
> 
> I'm gonna stop putting months and such because my brain will tell me make everything day by day scene by scene accurate to the games and I don't got time for that LMAO. So there will most likely be inconsistencies to canon stuff? I'm going off of memory alone.
> 
> Anyways here's the next chapter! I was writing more but decided I'm going to split it up.

**Yongen Jaya, 2016**

His first week of Shujin was...definitely eventful. As shitty as it was starting out to be, Akira was pleasantly surprised to have made some new friends. He supposed, being thrown into a strange world and nearly dying could make some people bond. Although, Akira thinks that he, Ryuji, and Ann all would have ended up as friends regardless. He’d never know for sure, but it was a warming thought.

Barely over a week, and so much has already happened. Focusing on homework was almost impossible. It’s like, the world said, _‘Throw that Kurusu kid into a city with freaky problems, and give his problems their_ own _problems’_

Homework? When you have a weird demon app on your phone and a school that wants nothing but to make your life hell? His brain was melting.

There was something about the metaverse...something that felt oddly familiar that he couldn’t shake.

“Hey, kid, you’re going to break your pencil.” 

His head snapped up. Sojiro looked like he was about ready to leave, and Akira loosened his grip on his pencil. “Sorry. It’s fractions.”

“What are you apologizing to me for?” He shook his head, “God, with how stressed you look it’s bringing _me_ back to when _I_ was in high school.”

The image of a younger Sojiro, hunching over homework looking like his head was going to explode crossed Akira’s mind, making a grin form across his face. “Why? Not a fan of math either?”

Sojiro made a noise somewhere between a scoff and a laugh. “I was pretty alright at it, actually. But yeah, didn’t enjoy it that much. Although I had a friend who _loved_ it..” He shook his head again, but this time with the hint of a small smile of his own. “Okay, I’m heading out. Don’t stay up too late.”

Akira nodded. The door’s bell jingled as the other left, and when Sojiro was gone, Akira slumped in his seat, and a small figure hopped up onto the table.

“You know, you could always see if Lady Ann and Ryuji want to all study together. Might help you!” Morgana suggested, “Ryuji’s probably a lost cause with that though.”

The air seemed to ease around him for a moment. At first, Akira wasn’t so sure about letting him stay with him. He didn’t know if Sojiro would be okay with having a cat (or, not actually a cat, according to Morgana) stay in Leblanc. He also didn’t know how he felt about having someone else there with him constantly, but, he quickly came to appreciate Morgana’s presence. 

Home crossed his mind. Cats practically flooded Inaba. If there’s one thing he missed, it was always being greeted by the furry little critters on his way too and from school.

It was a little lonely at home, and with Morgana here, he was feeling just a little less alone.

“You should probably get some sleep though. It’s been a rough week, and we still have a ways to go with the palace.” He was silent for a moment, and his ears did that thing they do when his mood drops, drooping slightly, face full of concern. Morgana looked a little hesitant, but spoke again. “But...other than that, are you okay? It seems like...I don’t know, there’s something else besides all of this that’s bothering you.”

Ah.

Akira pursed his lips in thought, and let out an exhausted sigh. “I’m not really sure how to answer that.” How could he, really? He didn’t even know. He reached his hand over and scratched the top of Morgana’s head, much to the other’s annoyance. “It’s all just a lot to take in, but i’ll be okay. Promise.”

Morgana let out a loud protest and swatted at Akira’s hand. He was still concerned, but didn’t press it. His ears weren’t drooping anymore at least. “Yeah, okay. I guess that makes sense...just don’t push yourself too hard.”

-

**2011, Inaba**

They did their best to stay with him, that is, until their jobs started to warn them that they can’t keep skipping out. As thankful as he was for them to be home, they were hovering so much it started to become _suffocating._

His parents went back to work, and Akira started to go back to school. his parents let him stay home the first few days. One, so they could make sure he was okay, and two, so he could have some processing time. Going to school wasn’t something that sounded appealing at this point, but staying home didn’t either.

Honestly, Akira wasn’t possibly sure about what he wanted or even _needed_ to be doing.

It should have been simple. Go to school, focus on something, _something_ different. Not that. Pay attention to the lectures. Focus on the present, the now, not the past. Not then. Yet, things weren’t like that. School was filled with morbidly curious kids, kids that pry, and all of which were in the same unfortunate town where everyone _talked_ without even _thinking._

It was hard to focus on anything else, not when the entirety of Inaba just wanted to talk, talk, _talk._

He sat with his friends at lunch. They crowded around desks, all rambling from how boring class was to random shows, which Akira barely really paid attention to. He was listening, only enough to know when something new came up that is, and made some small comments here and there.

His food was left, uneaten, barely touched. It was a shame, really- his mom made it for him even with her busy schedule, she always somehow found time. Guilt thrashed in his stomach for not having it. She’d be worried if he didn’t have it, and throwing it away...the thought made him feel _worse_. Sure, his mom wouldn’t know if he did or not, but she went through the trouble to make it. If she did find out, she’d be sad, and both of his parents were sad enough for him as it is. Why add to that?

_“-rusu.”_

He’ll just save it for when he gets home. Maybe, he’ll feel hungry enough to have it then. 

_“Hey,_ _Kurusu_ ,” 

Huh?

“Are you _listening?”_

Oh.

There was something odd about the mood to Akira. Maybe it was the way some of his friends were looking at him, maybe it was the way most looked uncomfortable from whatever remark someone made.

Maybe right now he just felt uneasy, and everything was actually normal.

Right?

“What I was saying-“

“Takehiko, leave him alone.”

This definitely caught Akira’s attention. He’s noticed, Takehiko, was one of those friends he wasn’t sure exactly when or how they became friends, they just ended up in the same classrooms so much each year they at some point gravitated to each other out of recognition. He’s also noticed that he didn’t seem to have any filter with his thoughts. The other tended to go off about different theories, and derailed lectures sometimes by asking just the _right_ question at just the _right_ time to their teachers.

Akira quirked his brow. Takehiko leaned over his chair. He gave that look he does when he’s about to say something that will either make someone smack him or think he’s thinking a bit too much about something. Although, despite that, concern and worry sat around his eyes. “The girl you saw. She was the one who found that announcer’s body, right?”

Akira’s blood ran cold. He nodded.

“Takehiko-“ Another classmate, Aya, warned.

“I’m just _saying,”_ He cut her off, then turned back to Akira, “I’d be scared it’ll like, turn into a pattern, you know?”

Maybe it was a good thing Akira didn’t eat his lunch. “A pattern?”

“Yeah, like, she found the announcer, then you found _her…”_

The group erupted in small chaos _. ‘Dude, shut up,’_ _‘Are you trying to scare him to death?’_ _‘That’s too morbid even for you man.’_ All echoed around him.

Akira, didn’t really know how to respond. How does one even react to being told, _‘Hey, maybe you could possibly die but I don’t know because it’s just a theory!’_

“I don’t know about that…” Another classmate, one he didn’t really know, but was nice enough from when he did speak to her, spoke up. The group quieted, and gave her their attention. Takehiko looked intrigued, and a weird mixture of relief and a bit of annoyance at the same time. Perhaps it was from someone starting to challenge his theory.

Akira, really, didn’t like everyone theorizing about his own demise.

Naomi, he remembered her name, continued. “I heard someone else went missing. That Amagi girl. It might be with everything going on. Maybe he’s going after only girls?”

“Hold on, _he?_ What makes you assume the killer is a dude?”

“Do you really think a _girl_ would be going around murdering other _girls?”_

“That’s really lame reasoning! Could be a jealous chick or something!”

Takehiko and Naomi argued about it, and it was the most annoyed Akira had ever seen her get at anyone. At this point, Akira tuned out and tried to ignore his growing anxiety, thanks to his classmates.

Someone was _missing?_ That scared him. This whole town wasn’t going to quiet down anytime soon, and someone out there was terrified for their life somewhere.

Soon enough, lunch was over. Lectures continued, homework piled up, and Akira was left going home feeling worse than before.

**-**

To Akira’s surprise, his dad was actually home early. He wasn’t usually back at this time, but then again he shouldn’t be too surprised. He felt a little bit better by the time he got back. The cats that wonder around town were good at soothing just a small portion of his anxieties, and he spent a little extra time trying to make sure he gave the ones around him equal amounts of attention.

The knot in his stomach still remained, but at least he looked no different than he usually did nowadays.

He found his dad messing with what had to be a pipe, half of his body sticking out from under the kitchen cabinet and tools splayed on the floor.

“Dad?”

A thud echoed and his dad flinched. He suppressed curses and managed to fumble his way out from underneath.

Akira didn’t mean to startle him. He felt a little bad, but the squawk of a noise his dad let out made him snicker.

His dad rubbed his forehead, looking a little tired, but amusement plastered on his face. “Oh, you find that _funny_ , do you? _My own son?”_ He feigned offence, and cracked a smile when he saw Akira.

“Maybe a little.”

His dad shook his head, chuckling as he got up from the ground. A red spot remained on his forehead. “You got a little something on your face.” Akira picked on him, and his dad looked more than happy that his son was having fun with _something._

“Alright, alright.” He went to put the tools back in the toolbox. Akira helped him. “How about you give your old man a break.”

Tough luck. “I don’t think I will.”

It was nice to have little banters. Recently, they were rare. As the days went by Akira didn’t feel any better, and his parents didn’t stop worrying. Something simple like this made the air feel just a bit more breathable to him for the moment.

They got done putting the tools away, and his dad insisted on them going to Junes. Something about needing one thing to help seal the leak he was trying to fix, and something else about dinner. Akira’s choice.

The whole place was just a sea of familiar faces. Faces he knew the names of, and faces he didn’t, but recognized from around.

Despite the fact they came here for the sink pipe and to buy something to cook for dinner, they spent a good portion of time looking at useless things for their own entertainment. Akira longed for these simple moments to happen more, and the familiar faces grew even more familiar as they finally went to produce.

Their neighbor, Dojima, the nice but also kind of intimidating detective guy, also decided to take a trip to Junes. With him were his daughter, whom Akira recognized, and also some teenager with silver hair, that Akira did _not_ recognize but came to learn as Dojima’s nephew.

Akira doesn’t know if he’ll ever understand why adults tend to just stand in the middle of public spaces to chat for long periods of time, but that’s exactly what it seemed like his dad and Dojima were starting to do.

It was just him, the daughter, and the nephew standing there while the two grown men chatted away like they weren’t just here for vegetables and fruit and what not. The nephew, Yu, chimed in every now and then along with Nanako, Dojima’s child. She was sweet, but looked a little shy, but once Yu started to comment on some of the conversation, she seemed a little more comfortable.

The conversation steered to the three of them, because somehow the topic of both his dad and Dojima’s jobs don’t allow them to be home early in the day came up.

“Maybe he could hang out with them, so he won’t be alone all the time” His dad said, as if Akira wasn’t right there listening, nor the fact that Akira is sure a teenager doesn’t want some random twelve-year-old kid dropped on him to babysit. He was a little annoyed at the suggestion. Of course if his dad didn’t mention it, he’s sure his mom would have done the same with anyone else they knew. Both of them felt guilty enough that they can’t keep an eye on him during all of this.

Nanako however, seemed to brighten up a little at the suggestion. “We can show each other our favorite shows!”

Dojima laughed at that, “Well, it certainly looks like they won’t mind some company.” Yu nodded, and Akira was sure he was just being polite. What sixteen-year-old wants to add a kid Akira’s age along with watching his six-year-old cousin all day?

“He’s welcome anytime.” Yu stated, and sounded so genuine Akira couldn’t tell if he was just a fantastic liar, or was just that honest.


End file.
